3 Tips To Keep Your Mutt Out Of Your Mulch

Posted on: 1 June 2016

Having a dog around your yard can provide you with a significant amount of love and companionship, but an outdoor dog can easily sustain injuries related to your outdoor landscaping. If your yard has areas covered in mulch, these areas provide opportunity for your dog to get paw splinters or ingest toxic mulch products.

Here are three tips that you can use to help keep your dog away from mulched areas in your yard and prevent an emergency trip to the vet in the future.

1. Spray your mulch with a citrus scent.

If you are looking for a deterrent to keep your mutt away from mulched areas in your yard that won't pose a risk to your dog or your plants, then a citrus dilution could be the answer.

Animal health experts suggest that most dogs don't care for the smell of citrus. While your dog might turn up his or her nose at citrus scents, most people find these smells pleasing enough. Diluting some lemon juice in a spray bottle filled with water, then spraying your mulch with this dilution will help you deter your dog from digging in your mulch and potentially getting a paw splinter.

2. Install wire mesh under your mulch.

Dogs dig for many reasons, but many canines enjoy digging because the cool dirt feels good on their paws and nails. If your dog is using your mulched areas for his or her own personal pleasure, you can easily deter digging behaviors by installing wire mesh underneath your mulch.

Wire mesh that runs between the ground and your mulch allows for water to seep through the mulch without obstruction, but it doesn't feel good when a dog's paws come into contact with the wire surface. Your dog will quickly learn that mulched areas are off-limits for digging when you install a thin layer of wire mesh under your mulch.

3. Give your dog an alternative digging area.

Redirecting your dog's digging behaviors to an approved area can be a great way to train him or her to stay out of the mulch in your yard.

One simple way to address your dog's need to dig in a constructive manner is by creating a sandbox especially for your pooch. Each time you see your dog start to dig in the mulch, place him or her in the sandbox instead. Your dog will soon learn that digging is acceptable in the sandbox and leave your potentially toxic mulch alone.

If your dog spends a significant amount of time outdoors, finding effective ways to prevent him or her from sustaining injuries caused by digging in, or ingesting, mulch could be beneficial. Try using citrus smells, wire mesh, and building a digging sandbox to keep your mutt out of the mulch in the future.

For more information, contact Northside Emergency Pet Clinic or a similar location.

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